The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1887-02-23
"STOP THE SHIP"


piping among the taut shrouds of the
steamship Sandman, as she plunged
through the Atlantic surges, homeward
for Liverpool.
The sloping decks were silent and de-
serted, save for the figure of the officer
on watch, pacing suddenly up and down
before the wheelhouse. and a little group
OF sale passengers clustered under the
lee of the starboard lifeboat on the QUAR-
ter-deck. There was some half-dozen of
US in all. Two fair Canadians on their
way to spend the holidays in the "old
country; a couple of young ''subs., "
coming home On leave from their regi-
ment in Halifax: and one other careless
pleasure seeker, like myself, returning
from a visit to the Far West. We had
been Willing away the evening by
singing glees and telling stories, until
the quartermaster striking five BELLS
1880 o'clock--warned US that lights
would soon have to be put out.
Not feeling inclined to turn in, bade
my merry companions goodnight,
watched them laughingly down the com
panion way, and then turned aft to have
chat with the second officer who was
keeping the deck watch.
"You seem to have had pleasant time
under the boat there" he SAID, after a
few remarks upon the look of the
weather and the speed we were run
ming at.
"ies, and we ended up with ghost
story, which Mr.. Lurton told about his
old grandmother seeing the figure of her
husband standing beckoning her ear
nestly away from terra e.walk which
ran under brick fruit wall in the hall
grounds. She followed him. and scarce
ly had she got out of danger before it
fell with crash just where she had been
walking but half mopent before. His
friend, Wyvill, made fun of it all, and
then we got into hot discussion upon
warnings and second sight and the rest
of it,"
"Ard do you believe in such things?"
''Not bit," I answered, promptly.
"Such things, as you call them, never ap-
pear to cool-nerved people in everyday
life, but only to timld, scared, and ncr-
yous persons"
~ don't know that. am not partic-
ularly nervous, I fancy; and yet a queer
thing happened to me aboard this ship
not very long ago." and he turned to
glance at the swinging compass at the
mizzen crosstrees. If you care to hear
about it, rll spin you the yarn-unless
you want to turn i'm
So he began his story, whilst the
creaking of the spectre-looking spars
aloft sounded like the moan of troubled
spirits, and the swi>hing of the water
under the counler kept up mournful
rhythm as he spoke as follows:
''We left the Mersey the first week in
May, bound for New York, with full
ihip-saloon and steerage both crowded
and made quick run, for she is a
fast boat, and the captain never gives
her chance of getting far of straight
course.
"We were FIVE days out, and that
evening some of the gentlemen had got
up concert, which was great success,
aud everybody seemed in high spirits at
the prospect of the quickest passage on
record. OF course this was before the
Arizona, Alaska, and Etruria had aston
ished the world by the wondrous smart
runs whi h they have made. I relieved
Mr.. Jones at four bells and took the
bridge, remarking to him, as he turned
to 20 down the ladder, that it felt un-
commonly cold for the time of year.
It's leaving a warm cabin makes you
feel it. he said, wishing me pleasant
watch, and the next moment I was up
there alone.
':It was pitch-dark night, and
thick veil of blackness seemed to wrap
the ship from stern to stern. There was
20 wind and the sea was quiet, the still
ness only broken by the dull, regular
throbbing OF the great engines as they
steadily drove her along. glanced
ahead and could barely distinguish the
watch forward and then I turned aft
and saw the dim form of the officer in
charge OF the deck leaning against the
port door of the wheel house.
"All was right, and 1 began to pace
slowly ross the bridge from side to
side, watching the white CLEAN Of the
phosphnrescent water as it raced past
and trailed away into the dark expsnse
behind US. I remember thinking what
q nutshell this powerful ship was there
in the midst of the boundless ocean, and
how but thin plate of iron was between
the hundreds Of souls now sleeping help
less below decks and the graves thou
sands of fathoms down among all tn :
hideous creatures that live in the sunless
depths. 1 was reused out of my mu>ing
BY the voice of the captain, who had
come up to see if all was right, as he
generally did several times during the
night. for he was always alive to the
tact that he had a valuable ship and pre-
cious lives under his care, and nothing
ever made him forget it. l have heard
him say to some gentlemen who pressed
him to Join them in bottle of cham
pagne to celebrate the speedy arrival OF
bis vessel off the Irish coast:
81 am much obliged to you for the
kindness which prompts the request, but
we are caring land, and this night, OF
all others, l must keep q cool head and
o clear eye for your sake and my own
"Well, as was sayi"g, the captain
came alongside and said.
Flows her head, Mr.. Brown"
"'W. n. W, a quarter W.. sir I an.
swered, with a glimpse at the binnacle.
.s' light it is-keep it so; he bade me
good night. and watched him go along
the deck forward to speak to the watch
on thn fox
"Then I began my walk again, anC
my thoughts slipped away home, and
wondered how my wife and youngste;r'